New Horned Frog Species Discovery in Arunachal Pradesh

Discovery and Identification

• New forest-dwelling horned frog species found in Arunachal Pradesh
• Named Xenophrys apatani after the local Apatani community
• Discovered in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary, Lower Subansiri district
• Research team led by Bhaskar Saikia and Bikramjit Sinha of ZSI Shillong
• Collaboration with researchers from ZSI Pune and ZSI Itanagar
• Overturns previous misidentification of Maoson horned frog in India
• Genetic analysis revealed differences from X. maosonensis of Vietnam and China

Significance of the Discovery

• Adds to India's herpetofaunal diversity
• Highlights the country's rich biodiversity
• Emphasizes importance of rigorous taxonomic studies
• Named after Apatani tribe to recognize their conservation efforts
• Provides insights into biogeographic distribution of Xenophrys species
• Contributes to understanding of amphibian evolution in the region
• Expected to guide future conservation efforts

Research Process and Publication

• Conducted by Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) researchers
• Team included experts from ZSI Shillong, Pune, and Itanagar
• Genetic analysis used to differentiate from similar species
• Findings published in Records of the Zoological Survey of India
• Research corrects previous misidentification from 2019
• Study examines distribution along Eastern Himalayan and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots

The discovery of Xenophrys apatani is a call to action for further research and preservation of India's varied ecosystems and the rare species they support.